lipham



Ott. 1, 1935. Hl J. |PHAM Re. 19,717

ELECTRIC COOKING APPLIANCE:

Original Filed May 29, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l (fx/g oct. 1, 19'35.

H. J. LIPHAM ELECTRIC COOKING APPLIANCE Original Filed May 29, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Reissued Oct. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Original No. 1,825,406,

dated September 29, 1931,

Serial No. 456,920, May 29, 1930. Application for reissue April 5, 1932,

10 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful lmprovements in an electric cooking appliance and has for its object to provide an exceedingly sirnple and eiective device oi this character which will increase the heating capacity and thereby reduce the consumption of electric current for a given amount of work.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable bottom for the heating unit which bottom may itself be a heating element, said bottom being so mounted and controlled that it will serve as an automatic ejector for cooking utensils placed within the unit and also serve to limit the depth to which a cooking utensil may be inserted within the heating unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable bottom heating element which may be selectively positioned at any desired elevation within the cooking appliance in order that said adjustable bottom heating element can or may be located in contact with or in proximity to the bottoms of different cooking utensils of varying depths, whereby the heat from said adjustable bottom heating element can, if desired, be utilized'to its fullest extent because of its contiguousness to the bottom of the cooking utensil.

A still further object of the invention is to provide ribs adapted to act as guides for cooking utensils being inserted within the unit, said ribs also serving as supports for the wires of the side heating element and further serving as means for conducting and radiating heat to the cooking utensil and its contents.

With these and other ends in view, this invention consists in the details oi construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then speciilcally designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which:-

Fig. l is a central vertical section of an electric heater embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, partly broken away to show the positions oi the heating coils.

Fig, 3 is a detail edge view of the spring actuated lever for operating the adjustable bottom heating element.

In carrying out the invention as herein embodied, I0 represents a casing in the form of a stove or device for combination with a stove and within this casing is secured the casing oi the Serial No. 603,425

heating unit Il which is of sufficiently less diameter than the casing lil to form a space between said casings for introducing a heat nonconducting material as indicated at I2. The casing Il has an extension i3 of between which and the wall of the casing I0 the heating non-conducting material is also packed, this extension being formed with or resting upon the horizontal partitions Il secured within the casing ill, as clearly shown in Fig. l.

Within the casing il are mounted a series oi vertical ribs i5 having insulation plugs I6 set therein through which plugs are formed openings of suiilcient size to permit the passage of the coils I1 of the side heating element and these coils are connected to the conductor IB leading to the cord i5 through which the electric current is supplied to this element. The upper portion of the casing ll is reduced to form the neck 2B which serves as an eye or opening through 20 which the cooking utensils are inserted within the heating well formed by the casing ii and the heating element therein.

2| represents the bottom heating element of the heating unit and is mounted upon the long bolts 22, said bolts having the shoulders 23 which latter rest upon the plate 24, said plate resting upon the tubes 25 which latter in turn rests upon the plate 2B, all being held together by the nuts 21, run upon the lower ends of the bolts and these nuts likewise secure upon said bolts the yoke 28. This yoke has pivoted thereto at 29 the rod 30 which latter is pivoted at 3| to the lift bar 32, the latter being pivoted at 33 to the bracket 34 and for convenience in pivoting this 35 bar to the bracket 34, I secure an off-set plate 35 to the bar as shown in Fig. 3, thus forming a socket which passes over the lower end of the bracket so that when the pivoting pin 3G is passed through the bracket and bar, said bar will be held against undue twisting action when functioning.

Between the plates 24 and 26 is secured a cylinder 31 which is packed with heat non-conducting material and the cylinder is adapted to 45 slide up and down in the extension I3 to form a guide and housing for the element 2| and the parts connected therewith and also between these plates extends a tube 3B through which the conductor wires 39 pass leading from the 50 heating element 2| and the connector l0. and to said connector is attached the flexible conductor cable 4i to which the cord 42 is connected for supplying the current to this heating element 2|. B5

reduced diameter 5 of said spring being attached to the adjusting strip I9, which latter is adapted to be adjusted by the screw 50 threaded through the outer end thereof, the upper end of the screw impinging upon the base plate I4 so that when said screw is properly manipulated, the tension on the spring 48 will be increased or decreased as occasion requires to enable said spring through the bar 32 and rod 30 to force the cylinder 31 and-the parts connected therewith including the heatingelement 2| upward.

5| represents a builer spring with which the lifting bar 32 is adapted to contact to limit the upward movement of this bar and to prevent undue shock at the time of such contact.

From the foregoing description, the operation of my improved electric cooking appliance will be actually as follows:

The set screw being backed 01T, the heating element 2| will be elevated to a point within the heating unit by the action of the spring 48 and this position of the heating element 2| provides for the proper accommodation of shallow cooking utensils, such as frying pans and the like and when such a utensil is passed through the eye 20 into the well of the heating unit, its upper edge will be approximately Hush with the upper edge of said eye, thus enclosing the heating unit after the manner of a cover, thereby retaining the heat within the well and permitting it to be practically completely absorbed by the' cooking utensil and its contents.

When cooking utensils ot greater depth than above referred to are inserted into the well through the eye, the heating element 2| will be forced downward against the action of the spring 48 until the upper edges of said utensils are brought approximately flush with the upper edge of the eye 2|) when the rod 45 is clamped in position by the set screw 46, thus holding the heating element 2| in this position.

When the cooking utensil is to be removed, the releasing of the set screw 46 will bring about the elevation o1' the heating element 2 I, thus raising the cooking utensil so that it can be easily lifted oil' of the cooking appliance and while the adjustable bottom heating element is at the top of the well, said bottom heating element will act as a closure for the top of the well to prevent heat generated by the coils I1 of the side heating element from being dissipated either by circulation or radiation. When the bottom heating element is depressed, the entire heat emanating from both said lower heating.r element 2| and the side heating coil il will be utilized for heating the cooking utensil and its contents so that a minimum amount of electric current will accomplish the desired results in the processes of cooking.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown, as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit oi' my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful iszl. In an electric cooking appliance, a heating unit having a well therein, an eye leading to said well, means i'or electrically heating the interior 5 V the ejecting means temporarily depressed.

2. In an appliance of the character described, a. heating unit having functioning as a closure for said well, means to temporarily hold the bottom depressed in any adjustment to accommodate cooking utensils of various depths, and means for automatically ele- 20 vating said bottom when the holding means is released.

3. In an appliance of the character described, a heating unit having a space therein for the reception of cooking utensils of various depths, an 25 eye opening into said space, a heating element arranged around the interior walls of said space. a second heating element adapted to move up and down within the space, means for adjusting the second named element in any desired po- 30 sition within the space, and means for automatically elevating said second named element upon release of the adjusting means.

4. In an appliance of the character described, a heating unit having a well therein, ribs ar- 35 ranged vertically around the interior wall of said well for guiding cooking utensils inserted within the well, the last named element being so mounted as to slide vertically up and down within the well, means for holding the last named heating 45 element in any adjustment within the well, and means for automatically moving the bottom heating element upward upon release oi' the holding means.

5. In an appliance oi' the character a casing forming a heating well having an eye leading to said well, vertical ribs arranged around the inner walls of the casing to serve as guides heating element, a second plate located beneath the iirst named plate at a distance therefrom, 60 tubes interposed between said plates, bolts passed through said tubes for securing the plates together and supporting the second named element, a cylinder also interposed between said plates, said cylinder being fitted within an extension of 65 the casing so as to slide vertically therein and said elevating means to function.

6. In combination with the heating unit of an appliance of the character described and the movable heating element thereof. a cylinder, two 75 plates between which said cylinder is located, tubes also located between said plates, bolts extending through said tubes and attached to the movable heating element. said bolts serving to secure the plates upon the tubes and cylinder, a central tube also interposed between the plates, feed wires passed through said central tubes and connected with the movable heating element, a yoke secured to the lower surface oi the bottom plate, a rod secured to the yoke, a hollow standard in which said rod is adapted to slide, a set screw threaded through the wall of said standard and adapted to clamp the rod in any adjustment, a connecting rod, one end of which is pivoted to the yoke, an operating bar to which the 'opposite end o! the last named rod is pivot-vd, a bracket to which the bar is pivoted, and a spring attached to said bar in such manner as to tend to lift the yoke and the parts supported thereby including the movable heating element.

7. In an appliance of the character described, the combination o! a side heating element, a movable bottom element adapted to slide up and down within the rst named element, means for supporting and guiding the bottom element, a pivoted operating bar, a rod connecting said operating bar with the means for supporting the bottom heating element, a spring, one end of which is attached to said bar, means to which the opposite end of the spring is attached for adjusting the tension of said spring, and a buer for limiting the upward movement of the bar and serving as a shock absorber for the bar.

8. In an appliance o! the character described, an outside casing. an inside casing located concentrlcally in the inside casing, heat non-conducting material packed in the space between the walls of the two casings. a side heating element located within the inner casing in such manner as to form a heating well for the reception of cooking utensils, a bottom heating element adapted to slide vertically within the well, means for supplying electric current to said heating elements and spring actuated means for raising the bottom heating element.

9. An electric cooking appliance having a well therein, heating means disposed about the sides of said well, an adjustable bottom heating element vertically movable within said well, means to hold said bottom heating element at any predetermined elevation and means to automatically urge said bottom heating element upward upon 2 release of the holding means.

10. An electric cooking appliance provided with a well to receive cooking utensils of various depths, heating means disposed about the sides of said well, an adjustable bottom in said well for disposition contiguous the bottom of any utensil placed in said well, heating means carried by said adjustable bottom, and means to cause said adjustable bottom to ascend and eject a utensil from the well, and means to hold said adjustable 30 bottom at any predetermined elevation.

HARVEY J. LIPHAM. 

